Thursday, April 21, 2016

Celebration!

 

     Traveling in Uganda fills me with so much joy and gratitude, and holding on to that is always a challenge.  Since returning to Radnor, I make a point to walk slowly.  Verrrrry slowwwwwly, like people walk in Uganda.  It forces me to notice my surroundings, and it makes me feel calmer and more connected to my environment.  It's easier to remember to breathe when I slow my pace down, and the signs all over our building are another helpful reminder.
    Sharing my journey with my students and with the pen pals is a great honor, and sharing the pictures that Buppala students captured is another reason to pause and wonder.  The photos that Mususwa George took are full of energy and life.  The pictures perfectly depict the joy and gratitude that the people of Buppala feel in response to the multitude of ways our school community has transformed their village.  The celebration this day was in honor of the 50 goats that were delivered to Buppala children and their families, thanks to the generosity of our school community.  
    Visual literacy is a new way of learning and thinking for Buppala students.  Using Olympus cameras donated by the LeCroix family, Buppala children are learning to 'Frame, Focus, Flash & Follow through' to capture their world.  The photos reveal evidence of a rather extraordinary talent.  Remember, this is the first time this child has ever used a piece of electronic equipment.  We all know the adage: "A picture speaks a thousand words," but the gift of exchanging photos with our pen pals, and sharing these with our community, give each of us access to one another's world that makes this global connection deeply personal.  Enjoy the pictures, and remember to slow your pace and take notice.



Celebrating the gift of 50 goats from Radnor Middle School.  Photos by Mususwa George, Buppala student with an eye for capturing the joy in his community.


Saturday, April 9, 2016

Pen Pals Partner with Ardmore Rotary Club

   
     Gavin Brumfield shared the work Radnor pen pals have done this year to earn a matching grant from the Ardmore Rotary Club.  The support from Rotary emphasizes the power of community in teaching students here and abroad that they can make the world a healthier, happier place.
    Thank you, Ardmore Rotary, for encouraging our students to develop leadership skills through social entrepreneurship.  The 50 goats we delivered to Buppala families is a testament to the impact that sharing and caring can have for people of all ages.

Wednesday, February 17, 2016

Buppala, Here I Come!

This is why I am committed to this project...
                           Here's Monica in 2012, before we began the lunch program:
                                                                                        

And here's Monica in 2014:
                                                                        
      It's amazing what one meal a day can do for a child.  She's beautiful, inside and out.  And since this photo was taken, Buppala Primary School has taken complete ownership of the lunch program with the garden that SCA Corporation helped us install in 2014.  Now, it's time to bolster the nutrition and the opportunities for the neediest students in Buppala with a Goat Giving initiative.  Radnor Middle School students, friends and families have raised a herd of 50 goats that I am honored to bring to our pen pals next week.  Thank you for your generosity, and thank you for making the world a healthier place. 
      I look forward to sharing photos and stories of this next adventure in our beautiful collaboration with Buppala Primary School. Follow our exploits at Global Village Connect

Bon voyage!  

Saturday, January 30, 2016

Goat-ing to Buppala!!!






Radnor Middle School has proven once again that we are the school with heart in the heart of Wayne!  On February 20th, I will be traveling back to our sister school in Uganda with Global Village Connect to deliver 50 milk goats to children from Buppala Primary School.  This pay-it-forward goat giving initiative has the capacity to change the health and welfare of multitudes of families.

The collaborative effort of Radnor students will be evident as each goat will be sporting a funky tie-dyed collar and leash crafted by every homeroom in a Schools to Watch activity, during Pen Pal and Popcorn Club on Thursday afternoons, and during MLK Day On of Service.

The goats were donated by Radnor students, friends and families who have managed to transform the village of Buppala over the past seven years.  This beautiful pen pal exchange has enriched both of our school communities.  Radnor students have learned that they have the capacity to literally raise up a village, and Buppala students are learning that they can sustain an organic garden, develop a small business from their crops, and feed each student a healthy meal every day they attend school.

Many thanks to everyone who has contributed.  If you would like to donate (and name!) a goat for this herd, it's not too late. Donate on-line at Global Village Connect and follow the Give a Goat  link.  Be sure to mention that you're a Radnor supporter.  I look forward to sharing pictures and stories from Buppala soon.  Much love & gratitude to you all.

Learn about WHAT ONE GOAT CAN DO